Mother mongoose licking baby in a reluctant wash
Baby mongoos laying down and being licked by mother in their enclosure zone at Marwell Zoo Hampshire England. Indian ichneumon native noted for killing venomous snakes. Flesh eating mammal like a ferret in size and shape. Of the many different species many are found in Africa and one species in southern Spain. They feed on rats, worms, mice, lizards, snails, insects, eggs, fruit and vegetable matter. Some even eat crabs from swampy areas. The Indian species Herpestes edwardsi featured in Rikki Tikki Tavi the book by Rudyard Kipling about a mongoose kept by an English family. The name of the book apparently came from the chattering sound he made. They are very nimble and have good eyesight which they need when killing snakes because they are not immune to venom.
Size: 4992px × 3327px
Location: Marwell Zoological Park Colden Common Winchester Hants SO21 1JH England United Kingdom Great Britain
Photo credit: © Christopher Barnes / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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